1. Field
An air conditioner and a method for controlling an air conditioner are disclosed herein.
2. Background
Air conditioners are apparatuses that cool/heat or purify air in an indoor space in order to provide a more comfortable indoor environment for a user. Air conditioners may be classified into split type air conditioners, in which indoor and outdoor units or devices are separated from each other, and integral type air conditioners, in which indoor and outdoor units are integrally coupled to each other as a single unit or device. Air conditioners may also be classified into single type air conditioners having a capacity capable of operating one indoor unit or device so as to be used in narrow spaces, middle and large sized air conditioners having a very large capacity so as to be used in companies or restaurants, and multi-type air conditioners having a capacity capable of sufficiently operating a plurality of indoor units according to the capacity thereof.
Such a split type air conditioner may include an indoor unit or device installed in an indoor space to supply hot wind or cold wind into a space to be air-conditioned, and an outdoor unit or device, in which compression and expansion are performed to perform a sufficient heat-exchanging operation in the indoor unit or device. The split type air conditioner may be classified into an electric heat pump (EHP) air conditioner and a gas heat pump (GHP) air conditioner according to power sources for operating a compressor. The EHP air conditioner uses electricity as a power source for the compressor, and the GHP air conditioner uses a fuel, such as an LNG or an LPG, as a power source for the compressor. The GHP air conditioner operates an engine through fuel combustion to provide an output of a compressor motor.
A prior art relating to the GHP air conditioner is disclosed in Korea Patent Application No. 10-2012-0016202, which is hereby incorporated by reference. In the EHP air conditioner according to the related art, supply current is adjusted to easily control the compressor. Thus, the EHP air conditioner is adequate for response to a partial load and has high energy efficiency. However, the EHP air conditioner may have a limitation in that frost may form on an outdoor heat exchanger when low-temperature heating is performed.
On the other hand, the GHP air conditioner may have an advantage in that waste heat of the engine is used to improve defrosting performance. However, the GHP may have low engine efficiency due to heat loss.
Also, in the GHP air conditioner, a generator may be provided to generate power using a power source of the engine. The generated electricity may be used to operate the air conditioner.
However, in the GHP air conditioner according to the related art, the generated electricity may be lacking or excessive, reducing operation efficiency.